[Q] Sprint contract ending, going to vzw, what's an alternative? - EVO 4G Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I'm getting near the end of my sprint contract. My employer offers a sizable discount if I use verizon as my carrier. Is there something comparable to the Evo4G on Vzw? I went to their site, just not sure what is comparable.
Any help would be most appreciated.

You could consider holding off several months. There should be a precipitous drop in older hardware and the new goods will start rolling.
For now the HTC Rezound seems like the best bet for price, awesomeness and similarity to an Evo 4G. The new Nexus and Razr are there too.
I am interested to see the new HTC X One (previously Edge) and where it shows up.
I don't think anyone can blame you for going to VZW, Sprint's network is garbage, and Sprint is taking its cost advantage away. Good luck.

I may be in a similar boat: I'm waiting to see if Sprint will let me out of my contract for horrible data speeds, excessive [and unintentional on my part] roaming, etc. I spoke to Verizon, and asked if I had a phone already, if I could hang on to the discount for a new phone until summer, they said that works fine... So I've been debating just getting the Rezound (in my opinion best phone they have right now), or buying a used Thunderbolt (which from my understanding is basically our EVO with a slightly newer chipset, and seems to have a lot of dev support) to hold me over until the quad-cores come out in summer/fall. At this point I'm leaning towards just getting the Rezound - mainly because there will always be the next and greatest on the horizon, but it'd be fun to have something that powerful right now. Now I just have to hope Sprint let's me out...
Just my 2 cents.
Edited to add:
If you couldn't tell from my ramblings, OP, I'd recommend the Rezound...
The only other two that compare are the Razr and Galaxy Nexus. The Razr is pretty awesome (the girlfriend has it), but the locked bootloader means if you care about development/roms/kernels it's probably not for you. And the GNex seems awesome in theory, but once you use it, you realize it is a Samsung, and thus has crappy reception and gps.
[/ramble]
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

Related

[Q] Leaving Sprint, and my Epic, new phone options. (Suggestions Greatly Appreciated)

Hey all,
First off, I love my Epic, and I will be sad to have to switch to a new carrier, but Sprint is too darn expensive, and Cincinnati Bell is offering cellphones (and a bunch of internet and landlines for our company) plus massive minutes and data for a tiny fraction of what only a few of us would pay for our personal Sprint bills... so naturally, we are moving.
Did I mention we can pick ANY phone from Cincinnati Bell's current or upcoming line-up to receive..... for FREE?
The two 4g phones they have right now are the HTC Panache and the Huawei Ascend X .
They also have a Samsung Vibrant available, which I understand is a Galaxy S phone nearly identicle to our Epic, but without the 4g or the keyboard.
Currently, I am leaning towards the HTC, from all the nice things I heard about the company's handsets in general, and moreso because I have heard zip about the Huawei and it seems a bit chinsey. ( I should add here that he gave us about 4 of the Huaweis to play around with for a bit to test out coverage and data speeds. ) The Huawei is a bit awkward to hold, as it is sharp and thin, whereas I am used to the brick of the Epic in my pocket.
What I ask of all of you is this: Do you have any suggestions on which handset I should grab from these guys? (Remember: It's being given to us, FREE) If so, why? In general, I am trying to either get as close to my Epic experience as possible, or to exceed it. I will miss the keyboard, but I am OK with loosing it.
For the record, I am rooted on my epic with CWM3 and running the latest Frozen Syndicate Mod (and LOVING it ), so ease of rooting, stability and availabilities of quality mods are certainly factors. ... I've just never heard ANYTHING about Huawei and there seems to be a bunch of different kind of info out there for the Panache (It's also call the Glacier and mytouch... I think?)
There you have it! Any suggestions would be killer.
NOTE: I do have access to the 4g Huawei right now, if anyone would like pictures or reviews of it, impressions etc, and I also have the chance soon to get my hands on literally any of the other handsets in their inventory to test out (the Panache, it seems is coming out on Friday). Hopefully I will be able to get a hand on that a bit early, and if so, I'll def. post some info. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, let me know, and also if anyone wants me to grab a given phone for a test run to review on here, I'm more than happy to try!
Thanks!
tl;dr: Moving from sprint to cincinnati bell, I currently have a epic, whats the best phone I can get from them?
like keyboards? where are those phones. that htc look like a mytouch slide. does it have one?
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
jbadboy2007 said:
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would appreciate not being called nuts, first off.
Second: Between myself, my fiance and my mother, we have a 1500 minute shared plan + "unlimited" data and the extra 9.99 / month for my epic 4g data. We average between 325 and 400 per month.
The plan they are offering us gives us 5 4g phones, unlimited data and 3000 minutes, all for under 300 dollars.
In terms of service, I've never been a huge fan of sprint, I rarely have anything more than 2 bars of 3g coverage, and in many places less. Their 4g network in this area is abysmal, also.
In any case, I was asking about which of those phones people thought to be equivalent or superior to my current phone, not about whether I should switch. I have been continually disappointed with sprint service for years, this is just the final nail in the coffin.
jbadboy2007 said:
Sprint too expensive sorry but your nuts. Ever heard the statement you get what you pay for. If you make the switch I GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE BACK. Why would you even consider a local company next to a national company just sounds ridiculous. They have to throw all those extra incentives at you because their service blows.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, in taking the loaner phones around they gave us, comparing relative signal strength and speed as I drive around town, the CinBell phone is consistently the dominate force in terms of signal strength, quality and data speed.
austin420 said:
like keyboards? where are those phones. that htc look like a mytouch slide. does it have one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nah, none of them have the keyboards unfortunately, thats why I'm trying to find the best phone to get given their lineup. Would you go for the HTC over the Huawei?
Get the vibrant. Its a galaxy s and it like the epic with no keyboard. And the vibrant community has a lot of roms including a stable cm7 and miui gingerbread
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA Premium App
The HTC page you linked states it's already on Gingerbread, the other is still Froyo. You should do your research on how often/if that phone gets upgrades. Basically find out which phone is closest to end-of-life.
To the guy who called him nuts for dropping a national carrier for a local: To each their own man. The OP found something that works for his needs. What's the issue? Roaming charges? It's an assumed cost of doing business when jumping to a local carrier.
blueoxide said:
Hey all,
First off, I love my Epic, and I will be sad to have to switch to a new carrier, but Sprint is too darn expensive, and Cincinnati Bell is offering cellphones (and a bunch of internet and landlines for our company) plus massive minutes and data for a tiny fraction of what only a few of us would pay for our personal Sprint bills... so naturally, we are moving.
Did I mention we can pick ANY phone from Cincinnati Bell's current or upcoming line-up to receive..... for FREE?
The two 4g phones they have right now are the HTC Panache and the Huawei Ascend X .
They also have a Samsung Vibrant available, which I understand is a Galaxy S phone nearly identicle to our Epic, but without the 4g or the keyboard.
Currently, I am leaning towards the HTC, from all the nice things I heard about the company's handsets in general, and moreso because I have heard zip about the Huawei and it seems a bit chinsey. ( I should add here that he gave us about 4 of the Huaweis to play around with for a bit to test out coverage and data speeds. ) The Huawei is a bit awkward to hold, as it is sharp and thin, whereas I am used to the brick of the Epic in my pocket.
What I ask of all of you is this: Do you have any suggestions on which handset I should grab from these guys? (Remember: It's being given to us, FREE) If so, why? In general, I am trying to either get as close to my Epic experience as possible, or to exceed it. I will miss the keyboard, but I am OK with loosing it.
For the record, I am rooted on my epic with CWM3 and running the latest Frozen Syndicate Mod (and LOVING it ), so ease of rooting, stability and availabilities of quality mods are certainly factors. ... I've just never heard ANYTHING about Huawei and there seems to be a bunch of different kind of info out there for the Panache (It's also call the Glacier and mytouch... I think?)
There you have it! Any suggestions would be killer.
NOTE: I do have access to the 4g Huawei right now, if anyone would like pictures or reviews of it, impressions etc, and I also have the chance soon to get my hands on literally any of the other handsets in their inventory to test out (the Panache, it seems is coming out on Friday). Hopefully I will be able to get a hand on that a bit early, and if so, I'll def. post some info. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, let me know, and also if anyone wants me to grab a given phone for a test run to review on here, I'm more than happy to try!
Thanks!
tl;dr: Moving from sprint to cincinnati bell, I currently have a epic, whats the best phone I can get from them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can i have your epic???
blueoxide said:
Nah, none of them have the keyboards unfortunately, thats why I'm trying to find the best phone to get given their lineup. Would you go for the HTC over the Huawei?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get the Panache, its the same phone as the Mytouch 4G without the god awful mytouch logo.
I voted for other because nothing was not an option.
I have had a great experience with Sprint and don't plan on leaving when my contract is up.
You shoulda got 3 unlimited everythings for cheaper than your shared plan duh. But if sprint in your area is not as good than that's a different matter. I've been with sprint for 8 years and they are excellent
I suppose I should also mention that along with this we are overhauling all of our business land lines, internet, dedicated internet/phone lines for security and camera etc and cinbell is offering one mega-package for us etc. The plan details are apples to oranges I'd imagine.
Screen size = Huawei (4G)
Hardware = Samsung (no 4G)
Roms = HTC (4G)
Voted "Other" because non of those options are > the Epic all around.
Looked through the phones and I would go with the Panache. It has Gingerbread, more RAM than the Ascend (768MB vs 512MB) and it has 4G, which the Vibrant does not. The Ascend concerns me a bit...it just came out, and it has Froyo on it. Who knows if and when it would get Gingerbread and a few places I see reviews for it refer to it as "low-cost" and "low-end". Not to say it doesn't have a lot of features, but that is how it is referred to (Which on the low-end of the phone market, the phone rates well) If you are getting the phones for free, I would think the HTC would be the winner for you. Cincinnati Bell looks to have good plans and good national coverage... I don't think you will be disappointed. Best of luck to you!
I would really use the loaner you have for awhile.. I myself had cincinnati bell and the signal was horrible all over the west side of town and northern ky.. I have three friends who jumped into cincy bells low rates they advertised.. And really in the end they are still paying more that the sprint bill.. But if you are on a huge corporate deal price will be cheaper.. But those friends are constantly asking me to text so and so or call someone cause they all constantly have signal issues.. So I would def check that the signal is good in the areas you most frequent. just giving some personal experience. But if the signal is there for you jump on that good deal..
Ever consider flashing to a prepaid unlimited plan?
yeah im pretty sure sprint is among the cheapest and has some of the best phones, service, and coverage. only verizon bats spint on the coverage. im am on a family plan with three phones, unlimited everything, 1400 minutes i believe, and 4g for my epic. it totals to about $120 something a month.
my dad on the other hand has verizon. he just bought the new iphone, unlimited everything, and 1400 minutes too. he pays about $75 a month. 4g for verizon is like $20 or $30 (i cant remember). thats outrageous compared to the $10 a month for 4g on sprint.
i really suggest sitting down, working out a budget, working out a reasonable phone plan to work with that budget, compare different phone services, and research phones for each. i think youll find that sprint is among the best and cheapest.
Sent via the Matrix
blueoxide said:
I would appreciate not being called nuts, first off.
Second: Between myself, my fiance and my mother, we have a 1500 minute shared plan + "unlimited" data and the extra 9.99 / month for my epic 4g data. We average between 325 and 400 per month.
The plan they are offering us gives us 5 4g phones, unlimited data and 3000 minutes, all for under 300 dollars.
In terms of service, I've never been a huge fan of sprint, I rarely have anything more than 2 bars of 3g coverage, and in many places less. Their 4g network in this area is abysmal, also.
In any case, I was asking about which of those phones people thought to be equivalent or superior to my current phone, not about whether I should switch. I have been continually disappointed with sprint service for years, this is just the final nail in the coffin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i think u r not right about comparing minutes... remember sprint gives unlimited calls to any mobile phones... n plus i have 5 phones n pay under 200 w/ all 4g phones. that includes everything.... not saying that to convince u. but what u said is not right at all about plan... n i love sprint. their C.S is the greatest. peaceee
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
my 1500 everything data plan with 3 lines, 2 premium data fees, 2 insurance fees, and an airave, with my meager corperate discount comes to 171.36 per month. i can bundle this with my time warner cable bill for more savings, since they are partners, but i prefer not to have all my eggs in one basket. id hate to get everything cut off at once if i were late. i can do with out cable, or phone. but never both at once!

What next?

evo's are EOL... but still rocking.... whats coming down the pipe for sprint>... all the new phones coming out i dig are all on verizon, and att... wtf..
come on sprint... jackin us for our plans....... give us something... and not the iphone...grrrr
+1 on not the iphone
Sent From My Pocket
that new Edge looks sick... now the ZETA!... come on... sprint better pick up something or im' jumping ship!
plus lte for Verizon, my buddy's getting like 16-18mb down!..something nuts
This is just my hunch, but I would expect the current generation (SGSII, Photon, Evo3D) is the last set of high end new phones we'll see on Sprint until the LTE network is ready. Those phones are still competitive with the best out there, with the Galaxy Nexus being the exception. The 3 flagships they have right now will last long enough to tide them over until the summer when they start introducing LTE devices. I certainly could be wrong, but I don't think it'd make a lot of sense to invest in developing and marketing new WiMax phones at this point (unless they're dual-mode WiMax/LTE).
I agree with the last post. The nexus galaxy and the droid razor beat the EVO but not enough for me to spend $300 on.
I moved this spring out of Sprint coverage and have been using my EVO on prepaid carriers waiting for Verizon or ATT to come out with something worth signing a contact for.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
The EVO was a huge thing for Sprint, so I have to imagine they want to capitalize on the good will they earned with a lot of customers who probably signed up for 2 year contracts. Expect something big on the Sprint network around June/July this year. Likely with the EVO branding.
If there is a proper "EVO 2" type device around the time my contract ends, I almost want to buy it without even knowing the specs.

Possible switch to T Mobile.

I put this here because if I did switch, I would be getting this phone.
Basically, my contract runs out soon on Verizon, I really dislike the company and they're pricey, I have a few friends who are on TMo who swear its good despite me hearing lots of negative things.
Can someone give me an overall idea what to expect about this phone and TMo in general.
-Sent from my Droid 2-
I really love T-Mo, and they have great service. If you're not moving to another country, get them. They are the cheapest, and have the best customer service. The only reason to be on VZW is if you can't get service with T-Mo or Sprint.
Sent From The Best Phone of 2011
tmo isnt bad, its an ok company, its nice and cheap.
it's arguably the best tmobile phone out right now
tmobile is best used in populated cities. So if your house and the places you frequent doesn't have good service then don't bother.
their customer service is actually really good, but i found that it really depends when you call. Some people you talk to are.... well... out of the country and don't care much. But most of the time, they will help you out. Billing problems, warranty exchanges, you name it! I've called in multiple times and have them switch main account holder numbers around over and over and over again without any problems.
I assume you're deciding between the amaze and gs2, well, coming from the amaze.. the amaze is a beautiful phone, hardware and specs.. they're interchangeable with the gs2.... BUT battery life sucks. end of story. One thing i miss from it... the camera!
I know this could be subject to bias, how's the Sensation?
-Sent from my Droid 2-
Tmobile since 2002 haha
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
I Am Marino said:
I put this here because if I did switch, I would be getting this phone.
Basically, my contract runs out soon on Verizon, I really dislike the company and they're pricey, I have a few friends who are on TMo who swear its good despite me hearing lots of negative things.
Can someone give me an overall idea what to expect about this phone and TMo in general.
-Sent from my Droid 2-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm leaving Verizon soon myself. For me it seems like my only option is T-Mobile because on att I'll end up paying the same amount for the same services.
I Am Marino said:
I know this could be subject to bias, how's the Sensation?
-Sent from my Droid 2-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
people escaped the sensation to go to the amaze.. people escaped the amaze to go to the gs2
people escaped samsung older models (vibrant/s4g) and went to the sensation/amaze and then... yeahhh
people escaped the gs2 and went to the galaxy nexus (some came back). They also went to the amaze and started loving the camera and sense ui (beautiful, but battery consuming)
i see you're using a droid 2... yeah you'll love any of these phones compared to that lol
I go through a lot of phones. I've made a lot of compare and contrast reviews on the amaze and gs2 (throw out the sensation)
what most people liked about the gs2 is the battery life (comparable or sometimes better than an iphone 4) and the screen
what people like about the amaze is... the qhd (too bad for washed out screen), the UI sense 3/3.5 is an eyecatcher (not everyone likes it, but it is "pretty"), but best thing of all is the camera and the dedicated buttons.
The amaze camera is the best out of any phones right now amaze>4s>gs2.
Been with Tmobile since they bought out voice stream, no plans on leaving.
SGSII
I Am Marino said:
I know this could be subject to bias, how's the Sensation?
-Sent from my Droid 2-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had the Sensation, got it for $150 over the summer, and stupidly returned it thinking I'd get a better price later on. Ended up having to pay $260 for a GS2 many months later. Both phones are good. I find myself missing the Sensation because I prefer a high resolution screen over a large, low-resolution AMOLED display. The curved glass and overall feel of the Sensation is very solid. What I like about the Galaxy SII is that I find it especially easy to type on, and it's light to the point where if you drop it, nothing at all will happen (in my experience.. don't go deliberately dropping it). I was excited to get the GSII to use the NFC, but so far there are no worthwhile uses for it; Google Wallet does not work yet at this point. I would love this phone if I were able to hook up my transit pass to it, though, as they both use NFC. Overall, if I were to pick the GSII vs the Sensation all over again, I would pick the Sensation due to preference and price. When I purchased the GSII, my mindset was that I'd get the latest and greatest, but the Sensation is definitely up to par with the GSII (300 MHz in processor speed makes no difference), and I prefer the look and feel of the device over the GSII. My advice is to simply go to a store and check both out. You can always order over the phone, and then try out each phone for a week or so and see which one you like best (I say order it over the phone because returning it won't require a restocking fee, while if you purchased it in-store, returning has a $50 restocking fee.)
As for T-Mobile service, I love it. I get full bars everywhere in my area, but I live in the suburbs of a city. If I go very far out, my connection will become horrible. So I'd say look at a network coverage map and decide for yourself. If you don't live in an urban area, I'd think twice about T-Mobile. As for the customer service, it used to be amazing, but now I would say it's OK.. nothing special at all. They don't really care too much about the customer anymore, and won't do much to give you discounts, etc. There are also lots of fees. Coming from Verizon, I'm sure it can only get better when it comes to the pocket, though. Good luck.
I have Tmobile and love them.. Service in my area equals that of att and verizion or sprint.. And the always hook me up because ive been with them for awhile.. I dont see myself ever leaving
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App
Tmobile rocks imo.
I just switched to Tmobile from Verizon last month and I am very happy. Service is solid in populated areas. Once you move more out into the middle of nowhere you will not get 3g. The speeds are not quite lte speeds but you can't complain about getting 6-14 mb/s down or higher. I was lucky to get 1 mb/s down on att when I tried them before making the move to Tmobile. I also noticed that Tmobile has really good call quality. It seems better then Verizon and ATT.
I agree, get the sensation or the vibrant and wait a year or so till t-mobile gets a better phone than the GS2.
I've had T-Mobile for ten years and now I'm working for them XD
If anyone is in the Denver metro area I'd love to assist fellow xda members. (Especially if you're activating lolol). I'm not your typical sales associate..
Go for it, man. I made the switch from Verizon & haven't looked back. T-Mobile has been a much better experience overall. Had a mt4g, then a sensation & now a sgs2. You can't lose with this device, as nothing better is gonna be out soon... (late this year) probably...
the white unicorn.
I agree more or less with everything said. Of course, this is a very generalized question and experiences will vary in different regions, but I live in a fairly rural area near a smaller city (3G) where I work. My voice coverage, even in rural areas, is excellent. In the city my data speeds run about 2mbps but outside (2G) I'm lucky to get 512 kbps. Not a big deal as I have wifi at home and most time spent away from home is in the city.
I can't said the same n Puerto Rico tmo sux the only great think is unlimited data,calls, roaming for 59.99 but the signal sux
My contract expires in May so I would have to decide to either stay and use my upgrade or just lower the plan until then so I can pay almost nothing.
-Sent from my Droid 2-

Need Samsung Galaxy S3 Sprint help

Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
varaonaid said:
Hello,
We are long time Verizon customers but have had enough of their capricious attitude, the insane recent price hikes and limited data plans. (although we currently have unlimited data). However, my husband's phone was stolen about a month ago and while we're using an old phone for the moment, we need to upgrade it for him. I like Sprint's current business model of unlimited everything (& we plan to sign up for everything data plus from the employees referral to save a bit and get more minutes). We also like the fact that Sprint is a green company and supports more things that we believe in. Yeah, I know that we're giving up the network for a bit until Sprint's Network Vision is completed but I think we can live with that.
Here's my dilemma. There are no Sprint owned stores in our area, just third party stores and only a couple of those so I can't buy through them &get everything data plus... Which is fine because they don't know much at all. I went there to try to see both the Evo 4G LTE side by side with the Samsung Galaxy S3...both working. Unfortunately, they didn't have a working model of the S3 but they opened up a package so I could at least hold them next to each other.
My concern most of all is with the radio quality and reception. I have some serious medical issues so being able to call for help is a frequent need. I took my current phone (HTC Rezound), my husband's Motorola DROID X, and the Evo LTE, and did side by side comparisons of the radios. My Rezound came in top at -80 give or take a few both directions, the DX, at -86 also give/take & the Evo LTE at -97 to -103. I then tried to load a webpage on my Rezound and the Evo. I picked yahoo because it has mixed media &was a first thing that popped into my head. My Rezound loaded the desktop version in less than 20 seconds... The Evo was still attempting to load the mobile version after several minutes.
So, do I believe the story that the mall kiosk has terrible Sprint reception? Was the demo Evo LTE one of the bad first batch? I know that there will be a step back in service speed but this was unbearable. I'm hoping that this isn't the normal for Sprint service... I mean it can't be, right? Right no one would use them.
What I'm unable to find out is what the Samsung Galaxy S3 radio is like compared to the Evo LTE in similar circumstances. I can't afford to get one of the phones, not have it work, pay the restocking fee and a second activation fee. With two lines that's over $200 just to switch away from a defective phone. Is there any leeway given for phones that won't hold a signal... Like allowing us to switch to another phone if the first is defective? I know that the base chipset is the same between the two phones but from what I've read the radios themselves can be different based on the manufacturer. So, I don't know what either the HTC Evo LTE or galaxy S3 would be like on any specific phone and it sounds like there are differences in the batches. What do I do or what would you do? I know we're taking a risk switching to carriers but we want to live authentically and put money into companies that are supporting the things we believe in and shaping their company based upon similar values. We will be having to do a transfer of our Vzw account (assumption of liability) once we're settled into Sprint but not until we're positive it works for us. Then we'll give up our Vzw contract so we don't owe an ETF. It also gives my DH the phone upgrade he needs since his was stolen during one of my medical emergencies. Vzw refused to help us at all through the whole process.
But I digress.
What do you think phone wise? Bad reception? Bad Evo LTE? Would you take a chance on the S3 with Samsung's past radio issues... Do you think that they've improved them? Would you take a chance on getting a bad Evo LTE since HTC /Sprint have admitted to a problem there? Since I can't compare them side by side working or compare radio strengths I really need advice!
Thanks so much in advance!
All the best,
Rae
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It all varies on your area, you need to find people who live around you and ask there opinion. Some ppl say the HTC radio sucks, others say Sammys sucks. Rumor was without pure fact that Samsung was using a radio like the Motorola phones use. Lots of ppl are reporting positive feedback with the GS3. So it's something you can try, and if the store can't help you avoid a restocking fee, I would call customer service to see if theyd waive it.
However I know Sprint hasnt charged me a restock fee yet or ever, and if you have reception issues at home they will send you a free airwave...
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
juanpow3r said:
I've heard that Sprint 3g is awful in some areas. I get decent enough speeds here and LTE is coming to my area soon so I won't be changing carrier. However, if LTE wasn't coming soon I'd definitely consider jumping ship.
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The thing is and to be honest, once LTE hits, everyone will be *****ing about battery life. There is not a reason you cant jump on WIFI if avalible. Or use 3g... I have been stuck and still am stuck on 3g, and things load instantly for me... granted I'm not downloading big videos or anything...
But I know her main point was coverage... so she'd really need to stop at a store and talk to people who use the phone outside of the business
I'll let you know. Mostly I want to know that Sprint will stand behind either phone if the radios aren't up to par without the restocking fees and a second activation fee... I can't afford $210 of activation, restocking and another reactivation fee for phones that are defective. I'm not talking about just changing my mind and wanting a different phone but needing to trust that one way or another I'll get two phones with no radio issues.
It's not as simple as just staying with VZW, my husband's phone was stolen during one of my medical emergencies... He's currently using an old phone but it's not working very well. So, we either pony up for a new phone (even if it's via Craigslist) or we get a new provider (who hopefully gives a care bc Vzw certainly didn't!), both get new phones and sell our current ones to cover most of the upfront cost of the new phones. We could wait until Network Vision is completed or moreso but will they still be able to offer unlimited data plan at that point. Since we feel that we want to switch, now feels like a good time to do so. Does that make sense?
No we're not out of contract with Verizon but have people lined up to do an AOL (assumption of liability or contract takeover) so we'd be out of it with no fees. However, we won't complete the AOL until we're sure that Sprint will work for us now.
Does anyone know if the everything data plus (we'd be looking at the 1600min family plan) has free activation? I'd have to order online and it would be via employee referral? Also, do you get any numbers you can pick that are unlimited to those numbers? Verizon had friends and family where you got to pick a handful of numbers that you call the most that don't count against our minutes. My only concern is my in laws as they have a VERY limited cell plan and use their land line almost exclusively. If we could add that one number that would help a ton. I'd read somewhere online that Sprint had something similar but now, of course, can't find it again.
I appreciate all of your help and advice so very much. I hope this explains more why we're considering the switch and why we need good phone reception... At least as good as is currently possible on their network.
BTW, when we informed Vzw about the phone theft we were tracking the phone on Google latitude and the refused to help or advise us as to what to do in any way. Super disappointed with their lack of help. If the customer service had been better, we might have gotten our phone back. I've heard good things about Sprint's customer service.
Any other thoughts or suggestions or advice... Please share! And many thanks to all of you who have shared!
Order directly from Sprint
As a former employee of a 3rd party vendor, if you are worried about the vendors complying with Sprint's 30-day no strings window, order your phones directly from Sprint. If your or your husband's employer have an agreement with sprint that nets their employee's a discount, they might also have an exclusive sales team and pricing. Most corporate discounts waive the activation fee on new lines and Sprint(corporate, not 3rd party) is very good about exchanges. Keep in mind 3rd party vendors can, and do, pretty much whatever they want, if they treat you poorly, email [email protected] and it will garner the attention of Dan Hesse's resolution team. But again if you want to avoid the 3rd party headache, just order online or over the phone. Good luck, and I will check back as I just ordered both, an evo lte and sIII, for my wife and I. I will let you know how signal goes.
Sprint is very giving... ill PM you a number to use when you call them.
Sent from my DynaTAC 8000S ;-) via 5G
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
varaonaid said:
Thanks so much for the new info. I really appreciate it. Please do send along the best number to call Sprint at. That's totally awesome. I just need to make sure that we have good enough reception in our area and that we get good working phones. I'm really glad to hear that they are a "giving" company or maybe best to describe as doing what it takes to satisfy the customer. Vzw seems to be purposely going the opposite way and I'm not impressed. Again, I'd love that phone number to use and would also love to hear your thoughts and impressions of the two phones when you get them! I Please keep the info coming!
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As of right now i get great signal and battery on my sprint s iii. I support ur cjoicr to switch. As far as customer sipport u eont regret it. If u have bad sifnal call them at any customer service number and request an airrave theyll send one for free. Those give u full signal at home. I believe emergency calls work without signal too so 911 shouldn't be a problem anyway, and airave should fix signal worries. So far this phone has great radio so far as I can tell.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using xda premium

[Q] What's your next phone?

So, I am currently in the market for a new phone because I am sick of how HTC treats their customers. I was wondering if you guys thought jumping on the Galaxy Nexus would still be a good idea even though the Sg3 is out.
The Sg3 looks amazing, but it is kind of out of my price range with the average price being $400. I have found a few Nexus' anywhere from $200-250 which is more my style. The thing that worries me though is that it is already close to a year old and I know the minute I purchase one the next greatest phone will be out.
Does anyone know when the next Nexus phone will be out? I am due for an upgrade around March, but would really like to jump to a 4g phone before then.
What do you guys think? Stay with the inc2, grab a Nexus, or just wait until I can get something with my upgrade?
Any ideas?
I've had an upgrade since July I was going to get the sg3 but when I found out it was dual core it turned me off BC I was stoked for quad. Then I was going to get the inc4g, but I hate sense and I'm tired of HTC. I was close to getting the gnex on Saturday for $50 from best buy, but like you said its already a year old plus the 5mp camera is kinda iffy for me especially since the og Inc had an 8mp back in 2010! I'm going to wait for the galaxy note 2 coming out soon 1.6 quad core 2gigs ram super HD amoled running JB
I was considering a SG3 as well, or the GNEX, but I am currently satisfied with the Inc2 at the moment and will way my options when I am ready for a new device. I am curious if anyone has tested out any of these phones and had any opinions as well. I have not "upgraded" since they got away from unlimited data, so I am still grandfathered in and not sure if I will sign a new contract or just purchase the phone. The 4g is not a big issue with me as Big Red has not brought it to our area yet, and probably wont see it anytime soon.
Maybe I will wait for the Note 2 as well. My friend has the SG3 and the screen on it is beautiful. The one thing about the Note which I am unsure about is the stylus. I don't know how I feel about that. It's not like that is a big deal breaker for me, just something I'm unsure about. I have had 4g in my area since it has been released, for the most part, so I def want to go 4g. I am worried I will lose my unlimited, which is why I was starting to look for 4g now.
Samsung does make a great looking phone though. Colors are so vibrant on them. When the Note 2 comes out, is it supposed to be better than SG3 or is that phone still going to be considered the best?
kubes069 said:
So, I am currently in the market for a new phone because I am sick of how HTC treats their customers.
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It's not HTC's fault. They already gave the OTA to vzw a while ago. It's big red's fault for not releasing the goddamn update already because they need to bloat the **** out of it before they can be satisfied.
Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector. A Dark Knight.
kubes069 said:
Maybe I will wait for the Note 2 as well. My friend has the SG3 and the screen on it is beautiful. The one thing about the Note which I am unsure about is the stylus. I don't know how I feel about that. It's not like that is a big deal breaker for me, just something I'm unsure about. I have had 4g in my area since it has been released, for the most part, so I def want to go 4g. I am worried I will lose my unlimited, which is why I was starting to look for 4g now.
Samsung does make a great looking phone though. Colors are so vibrant on them. When the Note 2 comes out, is it supposed to be better than SG3 or is that phone still going to be considered the best?
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Click to collapse
The stylus to me is just an accessory. You can function the phone without it. If I use my upgrade I will lose unlimited, but I'm only using 1.3 gigs a month. Not to mention my $200 phone bill and 2 unused phone lines. So upgrading will cancel unlimited data but I'll be saving $100+ dollars a month with my military discount. There's no real reason to use 4gig+ of data so I wouldn't worry about losing unlimited. Unlimited data users probably are getting throttled anyway. The note 2 is going to be a supercharged s3. Check out the specs on both http://www.autoomobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-note-2-vs-s3-4/1003595/
My only problem is whether to stay on Verizon or not. The Verizon version of the note2 is going to have the Verizon brand on the home button! I can't believe that. I'm super satisfied with my inc2 only BC I rooted. But the lack of ota is troubling. This phone isn't that old
Linch89 said:
The stylus to me is just an accessory. You can function the phone without it. If I use my upgrade I will lose unlimited, but I'm only using 1.3 gigs a month. Not to mention my $200 phone bill and 2 unused phone lines. So upgrading will cancel unlimited data but I'll be saving $100+ dollars a month with my military discount. There's no real reason to use 4gig+ of data so I wouldn't worry about losing unlimited. Unlimited data users probably are getting throttled anyway. The note 2 is going to be a supercharged s3. Check out the specs on both http://www.autoomobile.com/news/samsung-galaxy-note-2-vs-s3-4/1003595/
My only problem is whether to stay on Verizon or not. The Verizon version of the note2 is going to have the Verizon brand on the home button! I can't believe that. I'm super satisfied with my inc2 only BC I rooted. But the lack of ota is troubling. This phone isn't that old
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Do you know of a way to check the actual data usage without calling up Verizon? I also just did watch a few videos of the Note 2 being used and all I can say is WOW. This phone looks like it is going to be a pure beast. Also, you are right about the stylus being an accessory. After watching this video with it in use, I think I completely changed my opinion on it.
This is the video I just watched:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcgZum8M1o&feature=player_embedded
Edit: Damn, I can't figure out how to embed the video so it isn't just a link.
Linch89 said:
My only problem is whether to stay on Verizon or not. The Verizon version of the note2 is going to have the Verizon brand on the home button! I can't believe that. I'm super satisfied with my inc2 only BC I rooted. But the lack of ota is troubling. This phone isn't that old
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Click to collapse
I only have 2 options for cellular service, Verizon or Cell One because I live in a small town. I have been with Verizon since probably 2004, switching from Sprint when I lived in Atlanta GA. I have never had an issue with them as far as service quality, prices are a bit high but I will pay for them as long as I have good service. As for the Inc 2 I will probably use it for another year or so before I consider switching, unless something happens to it before then. I have only been using mine for about 3 months or so and paid $75 for it from an acquaintance of mine that upgraded to the RazrMaxx.
ThePhantom97 said:
I only have 2 options for cellular service, Verizon or Cell One because I live in a small town. I have been with Verizon since probably 2004, switching from Sprint when I lived in Atlanta GA. I have never had an issue with them as far as service quality, prices are a bit high but I will pay for them as long as I have good service. As for the Inc 2 I will probably use it for another year or so before I consider switching, unless something happens to it before then. I have only been using mine for about 3 months or so and paid $75 for it from an acquaintance of mine that upgraded to the RazrMaxx.
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I am from New Jersey love the service I get from Verizon. I have yet to go someplace that doesn't give me great service (unless I'm in a basement with no windows or something similar). As for other services, I have just about everything you can find in my area and from having friends I pretty much see everyone leave all other to come to Verizon. AT&T is the only one that can compete with Verizon in my area, but the only people I know that have that service is the Iphone users. For $75 you can't go wrong with this phone. It is def a great phone and aside from the lack of updates and no 4g that is my only complaint.
Nitsua, you say Big Red has the OTA and I have heard that before also, but how true is it? Is Verizon keeping the OTA secret because they are bloating it up or do they actually not have it? We may never know the truth until it is either released or they come out and say that the OTA will not be coming. Of course, I hope it comes, but I feel myself slowly getting sick and tired of the wait, especially since they promised up end of Aug. and now we are a week from October.
Yes, They have been late on phones before, but from my research, this is the longest they have gone after missing a date which really angers me towards both HTC and Verizon.
kubes069 said:
I am from New Jersey love the service I get from Verizon. I have yet to go someplace that doesn't give me great service (unless I'm in a basement with no windows or something similar). As for other services, I have just about everything you can find in my area and from having friends I pretty much see everyone leave all other to come to Verizon. AT&T is the only one that can compete with Verizon in my area, but the only people I know that have that service is the Iphone users. For $75 you can't go wrong with this phone. It is def a great phone and aside from the lack of updates and no 4g that is my only complaint.
Nitsua, you say Big Red has the OTA and I have heard that before also, but how true is it? Is Verizon keeping the OTA secret because they are bloating it up or do they actually not have it? We may never know the truth until it is either released or they come out and say that the OTA will not be coming. Of course, I hope it comes, but I feel myself slowly getting sick and tired of the wait, especially since they promised up end of Aug. and now we are a week from October.
Yes, They have been late on phones before, but from my research, this is the longest they have gone after missing a date which really angers me towards both HTC and Verizon.
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Click to collapse
Verizon has it. How else would you guys have your ics leak . They have to perfect it though and make sure that there are no bugs. Also since it's an older device that not many people have, they are setting their focus on other phones.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
I'm not too bothered by not getting the ICS OTA honestly. There are plenty of ICS ROMs that are functional enough for me to use. I'll just stick it out until I can upgrade in July, 2013 and either upgrade or switch carriers. Who knows what phones will be out by then?
kubes069 said:
Do you know of a way to check the actual data usage without calling up Verizon?
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Click to collapse
Play store has a VZW app for usage.
I have a droid bionic just sittin here. I may use that, but with that remote phone wipe hack I may just forget about it.The hack doesn't seem to affect the INC2.
my upgrade isn't till may. Depending on the inc4g, i will purchase it if its s-off. Otherwise, I think i'll be getting the SGSIII. My next phone has to be unlocked someway.
I'm really diggin the xperia phones. And it looks like most of them are getting ics in the next couple weeks. The ion is free on the us sony site.
Depends what's out by August 2013
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app

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